The Feel of Water

Twenty-Eight - A Promise Kept

"Morning, Sunshine."

I pull my hair back into a bun as I enter the kitchen, seeing Emilie sat alone at the table with a bowl of cereal. I grab my own bowl from the cabinet, take a seat, and shake a serving out of the box. "Morning," I murmur and set the box back in its place.

"Sorry I came home kinda late last night," she says. "David and I ended up going to this random movie and I lost track of time."

"It's okay. I was at Sean's anyway. Stayed for dinner."

Her eyebrow raises. "Oh really? And how was that?"

"It was fine. His mom is nice, and Sean seems to think that they like me so."

"So you two are getting serious then?"

I roll my eyes and lift a spoonful of rainbow junk into my mouth. "I mean, I guess so."

Everything that happened last night—I can still feel it all on my skin as if his touch never left me. Once I realized that it was the right time, it all happened so suddenly. One moment Sean was investigating around my room and the next I pressed my lips to his. He knew immediately. His hands came to my face and he kissed me like he would never have the chance to again.

Emilie watches me for a moment, no longer interested in her breakfast. "Well, that's good. It's about time you experienced a real relationship. Now look at us—me, you, Tammy—all off the market."

"Please don't mention that absolute tool of a man that Tammy calls her boyfriend."

"He really is that bad, isn't he?" She questions and cracks up. "I thought the last guy was bad, but this one with the prison tattoos and porno stash—just horrible."

"I'll never understand her taste in men."

"I think the point is that she has no taste. Maybe we should, you know, help her. We could set her up on a dating site or something, find her a nice man that doesn't wear wife-beater tanks in public."

I set down my spoon. "She would freak."

Emilie shrugs. "I just wish she would find someone who won't hurt her. All of these relationships—it must take a toll on her."

"What about you and David?" I ask.

"What do you mean? What about us?"

"Do you trust him to not hurt you?"

She takes a breath and plasters on a serious face, something genuine and sisterly. I lean back in my seat. "David isn't going to hurt me. How many times do I have to tell you that we're perfectly happy?"

"I just don't want you relapsing because of some stupid boy problems."

"I'm not going to relapse. Especially not because of a boy. Okay?"

I scoop more cereal into my mouth.

"This is a two-way street, Dani. Do you think I don't worry about you with Sean Donovan? It's not like I don't know who he is."

I shake my head and quickly swallow. "Sean has always been nice to me."

"Guys can be nice whenever. But do you really know who he is? Do you know with every inch of your being that he won't hurt you? No. You don't. No one does. I don't know if David will hurt me, and you don't know if Sean will hurt you—that's just the risk of caring about someone and being in a relationship. That's why things like heartbreak exist."

I take one last bite of cereal then get up from the table. "I have to get going," I tell her, "Alisha is picking me up."

"I'll see you after school?"